2024 WNBA Discussion Thread

I get that right now, and for the next days and weeks and probably months, they'll not let all this controversy ruin it for them. But 20 years from now, when every story or broadcast that mentions this championship, is STILL rehashing "the call" and how that gave NY their chance to win it, you cannot tell me it won't bother them. It will.
I think we’re overstating the level of story this is/will be. The Lakers won a title in 2002 after beating Sacramento with a crazy FT disparity in a game that a ref later SAID was rigged, and no one cares.

One call (that didn’t even result in a win, just a tie) is not getting that level of traction IMO, and “asterisk” discourse is silly anyway
 
For example, even the stories and broadcasts discussing this championship NOW generally barely mention that call; I don’t think ESPN did once. But in 20 years that will be the #1 story? Wishful thinking from people who don’t like them (sorry; people who “feel sorry for them”)

 
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I think we’re overstating the level of story this is/will be. The Lakers won a title in 2002 after beating Sacramento with a crazy FT disparity in a game that a ref later SAID was rigged, and no one cares.

One call (that didn’t even result in a win, just a tie) is not getting that level of traction IMO, and “asterisk” discourse is silly anyway
20 years down the road, I am not even sure Lynx fans will be dwelling on this call.

Switching context, when people talk about the Kansas Chiefs going for a three-peat, does anyone mention that they won SB Super Bowl LVII via a very controversial (obviously erroneous) pass interference call?


The Liberty will hang a banner and celebrate with no asterisks. That is just how sports culture works. There is no grand Karmic force who will ensure that all Liberty fans. coaches, and players live the rest of their lives in shame and misery.
 
20 years down the road, I am not even sure Lynx fans will be dwelling on this call.

Switching context, when people talk about the Kansas Chiefs going for a three-peat, does anyone mention that they won SB Super Bowl LVII via a very controversial (obviously erroneous) pass interference call?


The Liberty will hang a banner and celebrate with no asterisks. That is just how sports culture works. There is no grand Karmic force who will ensure that all Liberty fans. coaches, and players live the rest of their lives in shame and misery.
Yeah I thought about it right after I posted, but that Chiefs-Eagles call was a perfect example.
 
Switching context, when people talk about the Kansas Chiefs going for a three-peat, does anyone mention that they won SB Super Bowl LVII via a very controversial (obviously erroneous) pass interference call?
Yes, all the time. That and the copius kind whistles the Chiefs get has made them the 'love to hate' team in the NFL. They are now widely loathed for exactly that reason. You probably need a better example than that.

We could never quantify who remembers what and how much and who gaf. For the Lib players, probably not too much, though I think they'll feel they have something to prove next year. They def won't be complacent.

But the controversial ending will always be a part of the story. We can, and have, given 300 shoulda, coulda, mightas for the players and they're all true. But it will never change that two crucial missed calls by the refs played just as big a role as the players' actions. One of them, the travel, would have been detirmentive. That's a huge problem.

One thing I took away is I'm sorry they're going to 7 games. Five seems perfect, more than that seems drawn out. Fatigue seemed to be a factor and even more reg season games are being added next year. I like 3 games for the early rounds, going 1-1-1 so more fans get a playoff game.
 
One thing I took away is I'm sorry they're going to 7 games. Five seems perfect, more than that seems drawn out. Fatigue seemed to be a factor and even more reg season games are being added next year. I like 3 games for the early rounds, going 1-1-1 so more fans get a playoff game.
I see your point but I am more glad than sad about this change. The NBA, MLB, NHL all have 7 game final series so the WNBA might as well get with the program. I am sure the Lynx would kill for this series to have been a seven game affair.

I think the error is the W moving up to a 44 game schedule next season. 40 is a nice round number and those extra games are probably going to increase the number of meaningless end of season slogfests.

I suppose the league is wanting to transition up to a 50 game season and if that is a way to get more salary to players then so be it I guess.

But, with a potential lockout on the horizon after next season, it will be interesting too see if the W can keep their momentum going in this risky time of expansion.
 
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I think we’re overstating the level of story this is/will be. The Lakers won a title in 2002 after beating Sacramento with a crazy FT disparity in a game that a ref later SAID was rigged, and no one cares.

One call (that didn’t even result in a win, just a tie) is not getting that level of traction IMO, and “asterisk” discourse is silly anyway

I hope you're right!
 
Welp, Mystics have fired the father and son team of Mike and Eric Thibault! This is the fifth coach that'll need to be replaced in the off-season.
 
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Welp, Mystics have fired the father and son team of Mike and Eric Thibault! This is the fifth coach that'll need to be replaced in the off-season.
Dang! This seems like peer pressure. Of all the firings, this is the most head scratching in terms of performance. They lost EDD, they lost Shakira Austin, and Brittany Sykes for most of the season. Were the one team of the cellar dwellers that actually got better. They were only eliminated fm the playoffs on the last day. Obviously the owners wanted a complete fresh start.
 
Welp, Mystics have fired the father and son team of Mike and Eric Thibault! This is the fifth coach that'll need to be replaced in the off-season.
Gotta wonder where all these coaches are going to come from. There is always a lot of musical chairs hiring in sports, but I have a feeling franchises aren’t just going to take each other’s cast-offs this time. There’s a feeling of “go big or go home” happening, I think, and so we may see some very interesting hirings. Maybe a couple of the fired coaches will land elsewhere, but I doubt any of them are feeling super confident about that.
 
Gotta wonder where all these coaches are going to come from. There is always a lot of musical chairs hiring in sports, but I have a feeling franchises aren’t just going to take each other’s cast-offs this time. There’s a feeling of “go big or go home” happening, I think, and so we may see some very interesting hirings. Maybe a couple of the fired coaches will land elsewhere, but I doubt any of them are feeling super confident about that.
Feels like a housecleaning mentality. Maybe some good opportunities for asst coaches.
 
Dang! This seems like peer pressure. Of all the firings, this is the most head scratching in terms of performance. They lost EDD, they lost Shakira Austin, and Brittany Sykes for most of the season. Were the one team of the cellar dwellers that actually got better. They were only eliminated fm the playoffs on the last day. Obviously the owners wanted a complete fresh start.
They really messed up with the EDD and Cloud situation! Mike the Elder is a good coach but those GM moves were terrible.
 
Feels like a housecleaning mentality. Maybe some good opportunities for asst coaches.
True. And I need to start paying attention to who the assistant coaches are. That Natalie Nakase hire for the new GS Valkyries came out of the blue for me, but she was evidently an outstanding assistant coach.
 
Gotta wonder where all these coaches are going to come from. There is always a lot of musical chairs hiring in sports, but I have a feeling franchises aren’t just going to take each other’s cast-offs this time. There’s a feeling of “go big or go home” happening, I think, and so we may see some very interesting hirings. Maybe a couple of the fired coaches will land elsewhere, but I doubt any of them are feeling super confident about that.
you never know about those "cast off's"

Assistant coaches can often be the least heard and have little say so on their duties ... And they often know the answers but rarely get the chance to contribute fully

Pat SImmitt knew this,,,"You win with people"

I often consider that maybe Coach Sam wanted to do so much more...Look at her blaze afire in MsSt...she's getting it done.

I know, from experience if a HC gets a vision and you have a role in it, per their "vision of where they see you",,,then you often get relegated to that black hole of that responsibility
 

Interesting that they're looking to sell the teams off to locations in the future.

The real messy stuff will start when they divide the rosters up.
 

Interesting that they're looking to sell the teams off to locations in the future.

The real messy stuff will start when they divide the rosters up.
I see the initial attraction of having all players based in Miami but sports fans tend to be tribal based on locations. My home team versus everyone else.

This league assumes there will be enough interest in 3X3 ball and this set of players to keep it afloat during this start up period.

They will face a lot of competition in the sports calendar, including WCBB.
 
I see the initial attraction of having all players based in Miami but sports fans tend to be tribal based on locations. My home team versus everyone else.

This league assumes there will be enough interest in 3X3 ball and this set of players to keep it afloat during this start up period.

They will face a lot of competition in the sports calendar, including WCBB.
I don’t think competition will matter, u can just record if u want to watch multiple games.
 
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Interesting that they're looking to sell the teams off to locations in the future.

The real messy stuff will start when they divide the rosters up.
Is this kinda like the Big3 that Ice Cube started a few years ago, except the WNBA active players player instead of retired ones?
 
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